Cathedral of Shadows

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The Cathedral of Shadows, as it appears in Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE

The Cathedral of Shadows, also known as the Jakyou Manor or Heretic Mansion (邪教の館, Jakyō no Yakata) in most translations, is the location (or in some cases, computer application) where fusion of demons takes place in the core Shin Megami Tensei games.

The Cathedral usually contains several kinds of odd devices that are supervised by Mido, a head priest in blue. He offers services of fusing the comrade demons of a Devil Buster with no charge (except in IMAGINE). Several factors can affect the outcome of fusion, such the phases of the moon (or Kagutsuchi), the status of the Devil Buster, as well as the demons currently under his control.

The demons fused in the Cathedral of Shadows are bound by an unwritten law of subjugation, where the newly formed demon will only serve under a master of equal or greater strength. It's for this reason that the head priest will decline fusing demons if the result is beyond the current capabilities of the Devil Buster. This limitation is often removed during New Game Plus.

The subjugation law is given an exception when the protagonist fuses his dog with another demon to create Cerberus, a demon whose level is well beyond the protagonist's own. This is because Pascal would retain his memories from the fusion and would still be loyal to his master.

Later on, the Chaos Hero will use the facility to fuse himself with one of the protagonist's demons to become a pseudo-fiend and increase his power tenfold. His purpose for doing this irreversible act is to merely exact revenge on Ozawa.

The Cathedral of Shadows can first be accessed in the Vortex World upon reaching Shibuya. Spirits there mention a cathedral with odd ceremonies being held every so often. The minister offers his services to the Demi-fiend, well aware of the incredible destiny the latter is meant for. The aforementioned services range from normally fusing demons to performing sacrificial fusion rituals at Full Kagutsuchi, demon enhancement by using Elementals and Mitama, as well as the Demonic Compendium where recorded demons can be re-summoned for a fee proportionate to how much it has been trained and strengthened by experience in battle.

The minister offers a special reward to the Demi-Fiend if he manages to collect all of the 24 Magatama - the Lord's Sword, Taira no Masakado's very own blade, capable of opening the way to the Bandou Shrine and to the ultimate Magatama, Masakados. He will also grant a 50% summoning discount if the Demonic Compendium is completely filled with the record of every obtainable demon in existence.

The fusion mechanics in IMAGINE are basically the same as their core series counterparts, with the exception of the compendium, and triple fusion.

Triple fusions in IMAGINE require the participation of three different players, each of which must offer a different demon. Only the player starting the triple fusion will receive the resulting demon. When demons are at friendships of Open Hearts or Linked, it's possible for participants in the triple fusion to receive their crystal during the process.

There is no compendium for summoning departed demons in IMAGINE, only one for keeping records of their information. Acquiring the records of many demons grants various bonuses such as the ability to fuse certain unique demons and for every demon summoned to gain stat bonuses. Demons can be stored at terminals in most cities, but once they are used in fusion, they can not be regained unless they are refused or recruited again.

Additionally, the success rate of a fusion depends on the relationship level the player has with their demons. The higher the relationship, the more likely a fusion is to succeed. Should a fusion fail, the demons will be returned, but the player will still be charged the fee for the failed attempt.

Ikebukuro's Cathedral of Shadows Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE

The Ikebukuro cathedral also introduces new fusion mechanics, such as the ability to achieve 100% success in double-fusion and the ability to perform triple-fusion solo. These require payment in the Ikebukuro currency Kreuz and much higher demon friendship requirements than normal.

The Cathedral of Shadows is added to a Samurai's Gauntlet once they have spent the APP Points necessary for it. It is run by Mido. The App is stored on a server which the gauntlets access to use the app. Fusing demons now rewards experience to the summoner and their demon when it is used and comes with a detailed search function that looks for demon fusion formulas. The Cathedral can now summon demons directly from the compendium for fusion if the summoner has the macca for it.

The fusion system in Devil Survivor is a program in a summoner's COMP. In the fusing program, called "cath.exe", there are two modes, Fusion and Search. In Fusion, the player can fuse two demons they own together to make a whole new demon, on the condition that the resulting demon's level mustn't be higher than the protagonist's. In Search, they can search for demon combinations they can perform, and research categories such as race, existence (Confirmed or Unconfirmed) and previously owned by the player's party.

In Nocturne, the player can listen to the classic Jakyou Manor BGMs from prior Shin Megami Tensei games by having a Cerberus or an Orthrus demon in the party when entering the Cathedral Of Shadows during a New Kagutsuchi phase.